I love this beautiful pre-prohibition era metal serving tray from the Luzerne County Brewing Company which was in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania years ago. The nicely placed beer bottle with the bright label, the shell glass full of Edelbrau next to the bottle, and a lit cigar placed on the end table. While maybe not the safest way to leave a lit cigar, the flowing drapery in the background of the scene exudes a high class opulent setting in someone’s home most likely. Wilkes-Barre was a prominent city in the 1900 era, with many factories and businesses, so I suspect this scene was typical of the business elite in the city years ago. The serving tray leaves a nice legacy of the tray and remains in pristine condition 100+ years later!
The Luzerne County Brewery was started in 1905 in Wilkes-Barre. However, the name changed very quickly to the Lion Brewery just four years later. This brewery was the second largest in the state. Edelbrau shown on the tray was a porter, but they also produced Bohemian and Bavarian style beers as well as a Munchner Bock beer at that time. The brewery was renamed the Lion brewery after bankrupcty forced the former owners into a sale in 1909. Eventually the Gibbons name became tied to the brewery also. Today Lionshead beer is still produced in this region, helping maintain the local legacy and history!